Wheel.



No. 697,34l. Patented Apr. 8, I902.

' A. L. HUCKETT.

WHEEL.

(Application filed Sept. 17, 1900.

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a 530mm 06 01W if,

, ztomey WITNESSES: o c

UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFIc ,AARON L. HOCKETT, OF MASTODON, MISSISSIPPI.

WHEEL.

srnornrcarrom forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,341, dated April 8, 1902. I Application filerlseptember 17,1900. Serial No. 30,289. (No model.) 7

T0 alZ-w/tont it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON L. Hocxn'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing a-t Mastodon, in the county of Panola and'State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVheels; and I do herebydeclarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to an improved wheel designed particularly for use in connection with road-vehicles. Y

Metal wheels because of their great strength have come to be used extensively upon farmwagons and other freight-vehicles, and those intended for general road and farm use are ordinarily equipped with comparatively wide rims to prevent the wheels from sinking into soft earth or mud and to preclude the possibility of stalling the vehicle by preventing the wheel-rim from dropping into ruts in the road-bed. These wheels are perhaps the best adapted for the purpose for which they are designed, but are only partially effective to prevent stalling of the vehicle, because the wide rims sink deep into soft mud, which closes over the rims and around the lower ends of the spokes and presents great resistance to further progress.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to devise an inexpensive metal wheel which will obviate the objection noted and which by reason of structural peculiarities to be defined will serve as a buoyant body or float adapting the vehicle for transport service where the course lies over a river or other body of water.

To the accomplishment of these ends the invention resides in the general construction of the wheel and inthe peculiarities of construction and arrangement of its parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and illustrated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of the preferred form of my wheel. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring to the numerals of reference indicating corresponding parts in the several views, 1 indicates an annular metal wheelrim, the opposite edges of the inner periphery of which are bolted or otherwise secured to what may be termed oppositely-disposed rim-flanges 2 and 3, of angular cross-section.

To these flanges, which, as shown, extend in-' wardly, are bolted, brazed, or otherwise rigidly connected the peripheries of circular side walls stamped from sheet-steel or other metal and each provided with an axial hub-ring 4 and 5, constituting annular travelers, by

means of which the relations of the slightlyflexible side walls may be varied in order to render the wheel rigid or elastic to suit the desires of the builder and the conditions of use. These hub-rings land 5 each comprise an annular wall-flange 6, bolted'to the inner periphery of a side wall, and a hub-flange7, extending outwardly from the wall.

8 indicates a metal sleeve or hub exteriorly threaded at one end for the reception of the interior-ly-threaded hub-flange 7 of the ring 5 and having adjacent to its opposite end an exterior annular shoulder 9, against which the ring 4 abuts when the hub'is passed through the axial opening in the side wallsdefined by the hub-rings.

- It will now appear that by rotating the hub the ring 5 will be urged longitudinally thereon, and the side walls will thus be flexed to secure greater rigidity or will be urged into flat planes, which will lend elasticity to the wheel. It will appear, further, that the wheel will comprehend an extensive air-tight chamber, which will cause it to float,'and a vehicle equipped with a number of such wheels will be capable of conveyance across a body of water without the necessity for the employment of a pontoon, raft, or other similar devices ordinarily employed in connection with transport-wagons; but while these embodiments of my invention appear to be preferable I do not desire to limit myself to the structures illustrated, but reserve the right to effect such changes, modifications, and variations as may fall properly within the scope of the protection prayed.

I claim- A wheel, comprising a rim, oppositely-disposed rim-fianges of angular cross-section connected to opposite edges of the inner periphery of said rim, flexible side walls connected to said rim-flanges, concentric hub-rings carried by each of said walls, one of said rings being internally threaded, and a hub passed In testimony whereof I affix my signature through said rings and provided with an anin presence of two Witnesses. nular shonlderat one end presented to the ad- I V 1 jacent end of the hub and external screw- AARON HOOKETF' 5 threads adjacent to its opposite end, said Witnesses:

shonlderand screw-threads being adapted for WV. H. \VALL, engagement with the hub-rings. WV. D. ALL. 

